Roof Replacement vs. Repair: An Honest Triage

Repair is the right call when…

• The roof is under 15 years old and the damage is isolated — a few shingles lost to wind, one flashing failure, one small leak with a clear source.
• The decking is solid, granule loss is light, and the rest of the roof looks its age or better.
• You're selling soon and the roof passes inspection with a documented repair.

Replacement is the right call when…

• The roof is 20+ years old and problems are spreading — leaks in more than one place, granule loss across slopes, shingles curling or cracking.
• The decking is soft or sagging anywhere, or there are already two layers of shingles on the roof.
• You've repaired the same roof twice and something new fails every season. At that point repairs are a subscription, not a fix.
• You're staying in the home and want the ice-dam, ventilation, and flashing system redone properly — that only happens at replacement.

The math that settles it

Add up what you've spent on repairs in the last three years and what the next repair will cost. If that total approaches a quarter of a replacement quote — and the roof is past 20 years — replacement is usually the cheaper path within a few years, before counting the interior damage a failed roof causes. A roofer who only sells replacements will tell you to replace; a roofer who only patches will tell you to patch. Get an inspection from someone who does both, and ask them to show you the roof's condition — photos of the slopes, the flashing, and the attic side of the decking — before you decide.

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